A Firebender in the Earth Kingdom
by KieraElieson
Summary: A firebender who ought not to be there is trapped in the war in the earth kingdom. I'm staying away from the Gaang with this, for the most part, so the story and characters are mine, just the world belongs to the original creators. However, there might still be brief cameos.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

The firebender stood in front of the leader of the band of rebels.

The leader leaned forward and stared hard at the firebender.

"The charges against you are not as severe as some. You have showed good fight in the battle, without cruelty. The only charge that we need to bring now is that of consorting with our enemy. What do you plead?"

"I am, was, a member of the army fighting against you, but I didn't want to be."

"Then you would like to be tried by a civilians judge and not in a court of war?"

"Yes."

"Very well then."

The leader motioned to one of the warriors along the wall. He came and took the firebender away.

"Who's next?" The leader asked.

The boy at the door glanced through it. When he looked back he looked shaken.

"I-it's the General of the army that attacked our town."

The leader took in a deep breath.

"Send him in."

The general was laden with chains, and there were several guards escorting him in. The guards looked scared.

"The main charge against you is intentionally killing both men and women after the battle was over and you had possession of their city. The count now is 537. What do you plead?"

"Yes. I killed them. And if I could I would kill each of you in this room."

"Then you are sentenced to death."

Several men from along the walls came forward to help the guards take him away.

The next to be brought in was younger than most of the others. He was an officer of low rank, and carried himself with an air of dignity.

"You fought hard against us, and killed many of our men, but such is war. We have no reports of you abusing your bending outside of the battlefield. I would like to let you go, but I cannot have you use your abilities against us any longer. Will you join us?"

"No."

"Then will you swear that you will never again use your bending against anyone except in true self-defense, and that you will not rejoin the fire nation army?"

"Those are fair terms, but if my nation has need of me I will rejoin the army."

"What shall I do with you then? My only other course is to keep you in prison."

"If that is your only course then you must take it."

The leader nodded, and guards came to take the young man away.

Next was brought in a boy. He couldn't have even been sixteen. For the first time the leader looked confused.

"Who is he?"

"As best as we can tell, he stowed away with the army." One of the men answered.

"What's your name, boy?"

"Marin."

"And what is your ranking?"

Marin tried to look confused.

"Don't try to play stupid. I know that everyone in your nation is tested at age twelve for firebending. What was your ranking?"

"7E."

The leader sat silently and thoughtfully for a few minutes.

"I will need more time to decide your case. Your age and ability make it a difficult one. Bring the next one in, and put Marin at the end of the line."

The day passed slowly for Marin, but finally his turn came again. He had heard that the leader of the rebels was as just and honorable off of the battlefield as he was fierce and strong on it. He hoped that those rumors were true, because otherwise he was as good as dead.

He was led in. The rebel leader looked tired.

"Oh yes, Marin. I've found someone who will take in. You won't be allowed to leave them until after the war is over, but they will ensure that no angry people try to get revenge on you for being fire nation."

Marin thought that it was fair enough. They had captured him fairly, and he could always escape whenever he liked.

"I'll warn you though, this person is instructed to take away your ability to firebend if you cause her any trouble."

"That's impossible."

"Not for her."

The leader nodded to the man behind Marin, and he led him out. The same man took Marin along the road to the house. They walked the entire journey that night, starting an hour before dusk, and stopping just as the sun was rising.

The house wasn't very large, and it was situated in a clearing a few miles from the last city they had passed through, but the path leading to the city was very well packed down, as if there were many people who used it. The front looked fancy, and there were flowers all over the place. There was an ornate front door, but the man leading Marin did not use it. He walked to the low side of the clearing, waved his hand, and opened a small hole. He dropped Marin into it before jumping in himself. Then he closed off the top of the hole again.

Marin was pushed forward, and he found that there was a small tunnel leading from the hole toward where he assumed the house must be. But the tunnel went way too far. Finally they reached some steps. The man had to open the top of the tunnel, and they came up inside a house. It was a bit larger than the other, but the inside was very sparse. There were a few stools, and a messy pile of blankets in the corner, but nothing else.

The man knocked on the wall. A tousled head raised itself from the pile of blankets. A girl rubbed her eyes and stood up.

"Morning," she yawned. "Are you Marin?"

Marin nodded, confused. The girl didn't even look to be as old as he was. Why had he been sent here?

The man who had brought Marin looked at the girl curiously, as if he was just as confused as Marin was.

"Do you want me to stay and help you out for a while?"

"No. I'm good. Go on back to Linar, he needs every man he get."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure. Go."

The man walked back down into the tunnel and closed off the top again.

The girl sat down on one of the little stools, stretched, and looked up at Marin.

"My name's Asha. Do you want to... do anything?"

Marin shook his head. He didn't move from where he had been put, and just stared at her, trying to figure out what she would do if he tried to escape. She got up, as if she had forgotten that he was even there, and walked over to a bare wall. She slid open part of the wall and pulled out some food.

Marin was confused. If she was an earthbender, then how could she take away bending? It might have just been a bluff. He kindled a small flame in his hand.

Asha's head swung around to watch him.

"Doesn't it hurt your hand?"

"No. Not if I don't let it."

"Could you make it look like something was on fire, but really you weren't letting it get burnt?"

"Like what?"

She handed him a piece of bread. Marin didn't know if he could; he had never tried before. He tried, but burnt the bread.

"Oh well." Asha said, genuinely disappointed.

Then she tossed him another piece of bread and began to eat hers while earthbending another wall pocket open. Marin looked over her shoulder, inside the pocket was a small well. Asha pulled up a bucket of water, and set it on the floor. Then she closed the pocket and opened another. This one had a variety of jugs and cups. She pulled out a jug and two cups, set them by the bucket, closed the pocket, and filled the jug. Then she opened yet another pocket, and struggled to drag out a sled-like thing with a giant mound of clay on it.

Ashe pulled a hunk off the top of the pile, wet her hands, and began kneading it. After a few minutes she looked up at Marin. He was still standing in the exact place.

"Do you need something to do?"

"No."

"Then, go... sit in the blanket nest or something. You just standing there is distracting."

Marin did, and he was soon asleep.

When he woke, he saw that Asha hadn't moved much since he fell asleep, and that the clay that she had been working on was now shaped into a jar. She was carving designs into the side of it with her fingernails, and likely using earthbending in some fashion as well. She had a vine, curling around the edge of the jar, and coming towards the middle. When she had gotten it to the middle, she took a lump of clay the size of a pea, and spread it with her thumb to make an oblong petal. Then she stuck it to the jar. She put on several more, and Marin realized that she was making a rose. She built half of it onto the jar, and carved the other half into it. It really did look good.

Marin watched her and plotted his escape. He didn't particularly hate this place, but he wanted to get back to the army. Then he realized something; there was no door. There weren't even any windows. There were small holes in the walls and ceiling for ventilation and light, but none of them were big enough to fit his hand through, much less his whole body. He would have to get Asha to let him out.

Marin kindled another flame in his hand. Asha didn't turn her head, but he could see that her attention had shifted from the pot to him.

"I'd like to leave now." Marin said, keeping his voice low.

"So long as I go with you, you can. But I wouldn't advise it."

Asha stood up, rinsed her hands in the bucket of water, and wiped them on her shirt. Marin was surprised by her answer and he let his fire go out.

"So I can just go back to the fire nation army? As long as you come with me?"

"No, that's the one place you can't go. I'll go with you pretty much anywhere else, but Linar told me to keep you out of battles and armies."

"What about meeting with someone from the army?"

"I-I don't know. I would have to ask Linar."

"But you could open a door and let me out of the house now?"

"Sure. Do you want me to?"

"Yes."

Asha slid up a panel of rock, revealing a short tunnel, the opening of which could clearly be seen. Marin ran out into the open air. Asha followed him, more slowly, and shut the door to her house behind her. Marin began letting off jets of fire, and Asha became worried. She opened the door again and ran in to get the bucket of muddy water that she had been using. She bent the earth in the bucket, letting it take some of the water with it, and tried to put the fires.

"Stop it!" she shouted at Marin.

He let off another spout of fire. She bent the earth at his feet and he sank up to his chin. She left him there while she put out the fires, and still a bit longer while she took a break and ate lunch.

Lunch was bread, again. There had been little else in her area of the country. There was rice, but that wasn't much better.

When she was done she stood over Marin and asked, "Can you control yourself now?"

"Mmhm."

Asha loosened the dirt around him enough that he could get his arm out, then she took his hand and pulled. Getting him out was much more difficult than getting him in had been. When he was out, and had shaken off most of the dirt covering him, he looked at her curiously.

"Did you just waterbend?"

"No. I bent wet earth."

"But that looked like no earthbending I've ever seen."

"My father had a friend that was a waterbender. He taught my father how to earthbend in such a way that the most water stayed in with the earth. My father taught me before he left to fight in the war."

"Cool. Can we go now?"

"You want to leave without supplies?"

"No. What have you got?"

"I've got plenty. What are you going to bring to eat?"

"I'm your prisoner, you're obliged to feed me."

Asha was irritated. "Only if you are my prisoner. Meaning I get to choose where you go and when."

Marin thought about this for a few minutes, but conceded the point.

"True. But if I'm a prisoner... then I get to try to escape."

The last phrase was spoken very quickly, and he fired a blast of fire straight at Asha.

Asha ducked, but the fire badly burned her shoulder. She fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder and shouting with pain. Through her blurred vision she could see Marin running away. She screamed at him, a wordless cry, and a wave of earth rushed from her to him. It was soft, but heavy. It knocked him to his knees, and hardened around him, holding him immobile, with only his head showing. It was a greater feat of earthbending than any she had done before. Asha couldn't remember consciously making the wave, but she wasn't about to unmake it.

She tried to get up, and found out that she could hardly move her right arm. She made it to her knees, but the movement jostled her arm, and she passed out from the pain.

She woke up half an hour later. One of the neighbor's little boys was standing over her and nearly hyperventilating.

When he saw her eyes open he began shouting. "You're alive! I thought you were dead. I'm going to tell Linar." Then he ran away.

Asha slowly dragged herself to the house, and bathed her shoulder with what little was left of the bucket of water. The water had been a bit cold, and gave great relief to the pain, but it was gone much too soon. She tried to open the door to her house with her left hand, but all she did was knock it crooked. Her arm started throbbing horribly, pain coursing down it with each heartbeat. She wished that she could pass out again, but she didn't.

She lay there for a quite a while, and eventually fell into a fitful sleep. She remembered flashes of seeing her neighbor, and Linar, and a few other people, but she didn't comprehend much of anything other than pain.

 **So I found this, that I had made a long, long time ago, and I figured that I would upload it. If I get some good reviews, or if I have any more inspiration, I may write more, but that may or may not happen.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Marin had been let out of the rock cocoon and a rock cell had been built over him. He couldn't see out, but he could hear some things, and he could hear Asha moaning. He heard when Linar came, and he heard exactly what everyone was saying about him. Then the cell began constricting until it was only just large enough for him to stand up in. He felt himself lifted, set down again, and moving forward shakily. He guessed that he was in a wagon.

He was set down again later. He was given food and water, but he didn't see who gave them, and he didn't hear a single voice.

Asha slowly grew better. The fevers left her, and when she slept it was soundly. Her shoulder did not get infected, for which everyone involved was grateful, but she still couldn't move her right arm, and it still hurt fiercely if anything touched the burn.

Asha hadn't really known her neighbor before now, though she had seen her children sometimes. The woman's name was Lin, and she took good care of Asha, better than any but her own mother might have done.

Asha had realized that the fireball had probably not been intended to hurt her. Marin probably fired it with the intention to hit her, but she didn't think that he had wanted to hurt her. At least, that's what she told herself.

But then she wondered where Marin was. She had left him stuck in a little hill, and for all she knew he was still there. Lin just told her not to worry, that she would aggravate her arm if she worried. But that just made her worry more. Linar had told her to keep Marin safe and away, and she didn't want him to get hurt because of someone's skewed sense of revenge. Even if he wasn't any good.

Asha sat up and stretched. She liked Lin and her family, but she wanted to go back home now. But she couldn't just leave without giving something back. She had money, but she didn't think that Lin would accept that. But she might accept a pot.

Asha stood up and slowly walked out. She walked slowly and easily, but her shoulder was aching again by the time she got to her house. She sat down and rested before trying to open the door. She had knocked it crooked, and it was hard to open, especially because she could only use her left hand. She went inside, and, although with difficulty, was able to get out all of her supplies. Then she had to rest again.

She kneaded the clay slowly, half with her hand, and half through earthbending. It reminded her of her father. He could make pots entirely with earthbending, or entirely with his hands, and he had taught her to do it both ways. He could make anything out of clay. Asha was so proud of him.

She began to shape the clay into a wide bowl, but her left hand was not nearly so good at it as her right, and the bowl was rather uneven. She earthbended it as smooth and even as she could, but she was unused to it. She had mostly used her left hand for two handed earthbending before, and it wasn't easy-almost wasn't possible-to do the right-handed moves with her left hand. It took three times as long as it had ever done before, and was about the same caliber as something that she had made when she was seven. She cut an extremely simple design into the rim, and even that was poorly done. Asha looked at her work with dissatisfaction. Then she thought of the worst part of it all, the fire in her kiln would be out, and she certainly couldn't start another that would be any good with only one hand. The bowl would crumble in a few days.

She was disappointed for a while, but then she had a good idea. She opened a secret place in the floor and pulled out three gold coins. She set them in the bowl and covered them with a thin layer of clay. Then she earthbended the bowl to make the clay as hard as it would be without being put in a kiln.

Asha stood up. She was covered in mud, which she really didn't mind, but she was also very tired. She used her bending to pick up the bowl and walked very slowly back to Lin's house.

Lin ran out to meet her.

"Where were you? Are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm going home tonight. I made you this as a thank you for taking care of me."

"It's beautiful. But shouldn't you stay a bit longer? I don't like the thought of you staying alone in that old house, especially since you're still hurt."

"I will be fine. Thanks for your concern."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

Asha liked Lin, but she was getting annoyed that she couldn't see that she was able to take care of herself. She turned and walked back to her house.

It was a long walk, and she had already made it twice that day. It probably hadn't been a good idea to try to make it all the way home. Asha had to stop. She made an earth tent, and even though she was only half way home, went to sleep.

She didn't sleep well. She had vivid dreams that kept waking her up. She dreamt that Marin was in trouble, and at first she didn't want to help him, but then she realized that she'd be just as bad as he was if she didn't, and she helped keep him safe from somebody who was trying to hurt him. Then something came toward him that she couldn't possibly block, and it scared her enough that she woke up.

Marin was startled by a window appearing in the rock cell. An earthbender was standing there.

"This guy says that you know him. You can talk, but only for three minutes."

He moved, and Marin was shocked to see his older brother.

"Marin! It is you. What in the world are you doing here!?"

"I followed you, when you went to war, and it didn't go like I thought it would. But how did you get to talk to me?"

"I know that. And there's always somebody who'll do it for enough money. But what else did you do? Somehow the general of this army wants to kill you. What did you do?"

"I burned somebody."

"What?"

"It was just a girl watching me and I thought I could get away and I threw back a fireball and-"

"Wait," his brother interrupted. "You hurt, a girl, who wasn't trying to hurt you, and it wasn't in any kind of battle. Did I hear you right?"

"Yes."

"How could you, Marin?! You've brought shame on our entire family."

"I-I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking."

"You're right you weren't thinking!"

Marin bit his lip, he wasn't sure what to do anymore, or what would happen when Linar came back.

Marin's brother softened slightly. "If you ever get the chance, you must restore our honor."

"I will."

"Good. And then go home. Mother will be worried sick."

"Alright."

The earthbender took his brother away, and Marin was left alone again. But he wasn't alone for long. Linar himself came, waving an unopened letter.

"This is news from Lin. Whatever is happening to Asha, the same thing will happen to you."

He opened the letter.

"Her right arm is completely useless, and she tried to go home, but she didn't make it back. Well."

 **There are five complete chapters, by the way, and a fragment of six, but I'm not going to upload just the fragment. So please tell me if anyone likes this!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Asha woke the next morning without feeling any better. She had wanted to go home, but now she decided to go to a town about twenty miles away where there was a real doctor. Maybe she'd be able to get help with her arm. Besides, it was closer to Linar, and she'd be able to apologize for failing her mission.

She started walking in that direction. It had used to take all day to get there, but this time she fully expected to stop for the night halfway.

By the time she reached the town she felt better, more like herself, even though her right arm was still useless, and it had taken her three days instead of two. She found the doctor fairly quickly. He was tending to a bunch of soldiers. Not Linar's men, but still earth kingdom soldiers. Asha had to wait for a while to get in, but she didn't mind.

Unfortunately, the doctor only gave her a cream to take away the pain. He said that he couldn't fix her arm permanently, and that it might have to be amputated if she couldn't find anybody who could. She walked out dejectedly.

Outside, there was a bit of a scuffle with the soldiers. Asha watched for a moment. Then she saw that they were picking on a boy.

"Hey! Leave him be!"

The soldiers not involved turned, saw her angry stance, and walked away, but the others didn't pay her any attention. She picked up a few pebbles and flung them at the group. A few hit some soldiers, but her aim was poor and her throw wasn't that strong. Still, they turned to look at her.

"Leave him be," she repeated.

They backed away a few feet, but it was clear that if she left they would pick at him again. Asha walked up to the boy and bent the earth beneath them so that they sank like they were in quicksand. She made an underground pocket for them.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked, and his voice was hoarse.

"Because you needed help. Who are you?"

A tiny fire flickered in his palm, and she saw a glimpse of his face.

"Marin!"

The pocket trembled, and nearly collapsed. She hadn't realized how scared she had been of his coming back. Then she saw that he was bruised, and that his right arm was encased in earth. His face was sorrowful and pained. More than half of her fear turned to pity, and she determined to help him, at least until she could find out what had happened to him.

Asha then realized that in her hurry to get him away, she had tried to do more than she could. Her left arm trembled with the effort of keeping the pocket opened, and she still had to get them up again. She began clearing the way up, and Marin climbed after her without speaking. She managed to make it up without giving out, but only barely. She was relieved to be above ground again, and walked towards the edge of town. She turned after a few steps, and gestured for Marin to come with her. He did, but there was a strange look on his face.

When they got out of the town she asked to see his arm. He still didn't say anything, but he let her look at it. There was earth encasing it from his shoulder down to his hand, and was as hard as kiln-baked clay. There were words written on it, 'enemy of the earth kingdom'. She touched it, and felt that it was crushing his arm. She tried to break it off, but her arm was tired already, and it took her several minutes of chipping away at it from the inside before it showed any inclination of coming off.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I'm a firebender, in the earth kingdom. Only what you'd expect to happen."

"Hmm."

Finally, a part of the earth came off.

"Well, I might know one thing that would help."

"What?"

"You could let your hair down, and wear a hat or a headband. And you could get some different clothes."

"How would that help?"

"You wouldn't look like a firebender."

Marin looked down. "Why would you want to help me?"

"Because... I don't think that you really wanted to hurt me, and you need help, and I might need help sometime."

The earth finally broke and fell off. Marin's arm was hurt worse than she had thought it was.

"We should go back and have the doctor look at your arm."

"He won't do it. I tried already."

"Then we're on the same mission. Finding a doctor to fix our arms. You might as well come with me."

"Couldn't he help you?"

"No. I'll go back and get some supplies, and then we'll go to the next town."

Marin stopped her with a touch on her arm.

"I'm... I'm really sorry. I-" his voice caught in his throat and he turned away.

"It-your apology won't make it right, but I do forgive you."

Marin kept his face turned away from her. Asha felt uncomfortable; she turned and went back toward the town.

Her father had been a wealthy businessman, and many of the people in the town knew him. They were willing to give her all that she needed on credit. She bought a small handcart, two blankets, some rags, a few cooking pans, and food that would travel well. The cart had two bars, and it was meant for a person to stand between them and hold each with one hand, but she could still hold it steady with her one hand, and if Marin walked alongside he could hold the other bar.

It was almost dark when she got back, and Marin was asleep. She made herself an earth tent, climbed in, and closed the opening. She felt bad for him, but she still didn't trust him when she couldn't see him.

She was woken the next morning by a tapping on her tent. She sat up, rubbed her face, and opened the front. Marin was waiting, and looked like he had been awake for a long time.

"I made breakfast."

"I didn't know that you could cook."

"You know very little about me."

"You're right."

Asha sat down by the fire that Marin had made and ate. It was not made like anything she had eaten before, but it was good.

"Who taught you to cook?"

"My mother."

There was an awkward silence while Asha waited for him to elaborate. But he didn't.

"Why did she teach you?"

Marin didn't say anything, he just looked up and stared at her. After a minute she looked away. She finished eating and wiped out the dishes with a rag. Then she packed up the pan and picked up the left bar of the cart. Marin picked up the right, and they began walking.

"She had always wanted a daughter," Marin said. "I'm the youngest, and when she realized that she wouldn't have any more children she taught me how to cook and sew. She wanted to teach all of us, but my older brothers didn't want to learn."

"Did you like learning to cook?"

"Not really, but I did enjoy doing things with Mother."

Asha smiled. "I'm glad."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm glad that you enjoy spending time with your mother."

"Oh."

They walked on in silence for quite a while.

"Where are we heading anyway?" Marin asked.

"Toward Omashu. We can get there in a week or two, and there's sure to be a doctor there who can help us."

"Isn't there anywhere closer?"

"There's a few towns on the way, but the earth kingdom has very few large cities."

"Yes, I do remember that now. We learned that last year in school. That's one of the things that we will change once we gain control of the earth kingdom. We will make more little cities."

"What?" Asha asked, offended.

"We're going to make more little cities. That way no one will have to go so far to reach doctors."

"What if my people don't want little cities?"

"Oh, that's all right. We'll teach you all better. Once you have little cities you can have schools, and then everyone can be more civilized."

"You think that I'm stupid then? Uncivilized?"

"No, not you," Marin said quickly. "Just the normal people in the earth kingdom."

"Who, Linar? Any of his men? They beat your army."

"No."

"Then who?"

"I don't know. It's just what the teachers all say." Marin said defensively.

"And what makes you believe them?"

"Because, they're the teachers. They're supposed to tell the truth. I don't know really."

"Then you shouldn't repeat what they tell you as if it's true."

"But that's the whole point of going to school. To learn what they tell you and to think that it's true."

"Then I say that school makes you stupid. You should ask your parents to tell you what is really true."

"Then you think that I'm stupid?" Marin said, trying to turn her words back on her.

"More stupid than you would have been if your father had taught you."

But Marin couldn't refute this. He had sometimes thought the same thing. He thought about it for a while, leaving them in an awkward silence.

"Yeah, you're right."

They walked on in silence. Over the course of the day, they tried to make conversation several more times, but it inevitably ended in argument. Sometimes one or the other would concede the point, but more often the argument was left unresolved.

Their progress was slow, and they stopped often, but they still covered a decent amount of ground that day.

The next day the traveled on, and agreed early in the morning that they would not talk with each other, to avoid any more arguments. At first it was awkward, but they gradually got used to each other and were able to walk comfortably and in step.

At the end of the week, Omashu was in sight. By this time they were, if not exactly friends, companions.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Asha's right arm had slowly gotten stiffer. She hadn't been able to move it since it had been burned, except by using her left hand, but now it was beginning to get a bit difficult to move it, even like that. Marin's arm had gradually been getting better, although it still hurt him sometimes.

When they got to the city, Asha was shocked and saddened to find that it had been captured by the fire nation. There were fire nation flags hanging on the outside walls, and soldiers guarding the last bridge into the city, all of the others having been torn down.

Asha looked at Marin. His face was rigid, and she knew that he was feeling something strongly, but she couldn't tell what it was. She was conflicted now. Linar didn't want her to take Marin anywhere near the fire nation, but she really wanted to get inside the city and find a good doctor, but she wasn't even sure if she could get in. She didn't know what to do.

"If you want to get in," Marin said. "You'll have to bring something. Say you want to give it to the governor, and they'll let you in. I don't mind waiting here."

"You don't?"

He shook his head. Whatever it was that he was thinking about, it was getting stronger. His jaw was working, but the rest of his face was flat, and he had tried hard to speak in a monotone.

Asha sat down. The most valuable thing that she could make was a pot. She pulled up some clay from under the earth, and began kneading it with her earthbending. When she had finished she hardened some earth and set the pot on top of it.

"Marin, would you come help me?"

"Sure, with what?"

"I need you to help bake the pot."

"You want me to use my bending?"

"Y-yes." In truth, Asha was still scared of his bending, but she wanted to get the pot finished and get her arm fixed.

"How should I do it?"

"It needs a steady flame. You start small and then make it hotter."

"Oh."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Marin began putting out a slow flame from his palm. It was very small, and Asha didn't think that it would do much.

"You can make it a bit bigger."

"Alright."

The flame barely grew at all.

"It needs to be bigger than that."

The flame grew to the proper size, but it was getting flickery, and Marin was breathing hard and frowning. Suddenly a great spurt of flames exploded from his hand, bursting the pot, and causing Asha to shriek and jump back.

A wave of heat washed over her, but she wasn't hurt by any of the flames. The hot, soft pottery hit her in several places, but she instinctively knocked them off with her earthbending, so she wasn't much hurt by that either.

She looked over at Marin. He had been kneeling to try and reach the pot better, and his knees `were sunk into the ground. She must have done that when she jumped back, but she couldn't remember doing it. Some of the pottery had hit him too, and she quickly pulled it off. It left red marks on his skin, but they didn't look too bad.

He hadn't moved since he had shot out the fire. His hand still had erratic sparks flying from it. He moved, probably something as innocent as sitting up straighter. But Asha was suddenly terrified and bent the earth to sink him farther in and trap his hands.

"What?!" It came out as a whisper. Asha was deathly afraid. She had thought him to be sorry, but now he had tried to hurt her again.

Asha turned and ran away.

"Wait! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"

She glanced back. His face was just as white and terrified as hers was, but she didn't stop.

She ran to a safe distance away, where he couldn't see her, but she could still see him.

"Asha! Come back! I didn't mean to!"

"Then what did you mean to do!?" Asha yelled back.

"I was just trying to help. Please come back."

"That wasn't helping! You nearly burnt me again!"

"I didn't mean to. Come back and talk with me."

Asha slowly walked back. He couldn't do much now anyway. She stood, still at a distance, and ready to sink him farther if she needed to, glaring at him.

"Then what, exactly, happened?" She said, biting out each word.

Just then, the rustling that she hadn't really noticed until now, became much louder. A fire nation soldier riding a mongoose lizard burst out of the brush. He took in the situation at a glance, blew a horn, and aimed at Asha.

"Hands in the air!"

Asha was unsure whether to surrender or resist, but then two more soldiers rode in. She lifted her hand up.

One soldier dismounted.

"On your knees!"

Asha obeyed.

"Hey, wait!" Marin protested.

"Free him." The soldier commanded.

Asha softened the earth around Marin so that he could get out.

"No, you've got this all wrong," Marin tried to say.

"Were you the one who made the fire?" The soldier asked, interrupting him.

"Yes. But-"

"Then you both are coming with us. By the way, nice fire, we saw it all the way from the city. What rank are you?"

"7E."

Another soldier had dismounted. He took Marin on his lizard and rode down the mountain. The first soldier picked up Asha and rode down with her.

She was taken to a garrison inside Omashu, where she was described as a hostile earthbender, and put alone into a cell made all of wood.

Asha sat down. She felt ready to cry. When Linar had asked her to help take care of Marin, she had expected to learn about firebending, and just keep him out of trouble. But now she couldn't move her arm, she was in a prison, and she felt more alone than she ever had before. She had always known that bad things were a possibility, but she hadn't really thought that they would happen.

She was alone for an hour. Two hours. Five hours. She heard the family members of the other prisoners come in, bringing food, or blankets, or games, anything to make them more comfortable. But no one came for her. Of course not. She didn't know anybody in Omashu. The night dragged on slowly. She was almost asleep, and it was the dead of night, when she heard the door open.

"Asha!" Whispered a voice. "Are you alright?"

It was too dark to see, but she recognized the voice.

"Marin? How did you get in?"

"The captain knew my father. He let me in. Here, I brought you food."

"Thanks. But, why are you here?"

"The wardens don't give out food in this prison. If I had known I would've come sooner. I know that it's hard on you, but... at least we're in the city now. I can go find-"

"In the city now?! Did you plan this? Convince me to do something that needed fire, so that I'd let you use it, and you could signal the city, and then I'd get put in prison? Did you want this to happen? Just so you could be rid of me?"

"No! No, of course not."

"You're lying! I don't want your food!" She threw it to the ground.

"Asha, stop. That's not what happened at all."

"What then? What did happen up there?"

Marin didn't say anything for a minute.

"Do you know about the fire nation rankings?"

"No."

"Well, recently, the Fire Lord issued an order that all benders, at certain ages, have to be tested to gauge their bending abilities. There are two parts to the test, one to see how much flame you can make, and another to see how well you can control it."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"I took the test a few years ago. On the amount test, I got a seven out of ten, higher than anyone else who took the test then. But the control goes from A to F and I got an E. If my brother hadn't helped me so much before testing I would have gotten an F. I can control a little bit of fire, but as much as you needed, and I can't control it anymore. I really didn't mean to make the pot explode."

"I-" Asha remembered the concentrated look on his face right before the fire. "I don't know if you're telling the truth or you're just a really good liar."

Marin didn't say anything. A minute later she heard the door close behind him.

A raspy voice began speaking, one of the other prisoners.

"I don't know you, missy, and I don't know him. But it seemed like he was trying to be your friend. A firebender as a friend is heaps better than as an enemy."

Asha didn't answer. She didn't want him to be right. Didn't want to forgive Marin again. Didn't want to open herself to more pain.

Even so, she was starting to get hungry. She picked up the bread off the floor and ate it. Then she fell asleep.

The next day Marin came back with more food. He didn't speak to her, and she didn't speak to him, but she did accept the food.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Marin walked out dejectedly. He had hoped that... he wasn't sure what he had hoped for. But Asha remaining cold towards him was not it.

He still felt guilty about her arm, and every day, as his arm got better, only increased his guilt. But now it was added even more because he was the cause of her imprisonment.

He had tried to find a doctor, but no one would help him because he was from the fire nation. And the captain wouldn't help him because Asha was an earthbender. He would have to walk through the city on his own.

He walked through, asking everyone he saw where to find a doctor. Finally he found someone who told him where he could find a doctor. He followed their instructions and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Hello, is there a doctor here?"

"Yes, I'm a doctor."

The man was standing behind a counter, and there were bottles and jars full of strange things everywhere. The doctor looked up.

"I don't help fire nation. You have your own doctors."

"I asked them already. I want your help. They won't do anything because she's an earthbender."

"Do you even have anything to pay with?"

"No."

"Then I don't believe you. I've been tricked before by spendthrift firebenders that won't pay their own doctors."

"But I'm not."

"Then what exactly happened to this 'earthbending girl'?"

"I burnt her shoulder, and she went to a different doctor, but she still can't move her arm. When we got here she got put in prison."

"Hmm."

The doctor looked back down at some papers.

"Please help me." Marin said.

"Please? That's a word I don't hear often from you. If I do, how would you pay me back?"

"I don't have any money. But, I'd work to pay you back."

"Would you? Or would I have the guards coming after me for forcing you into service?"

"Then, what would I have to do for you to come with me to the prison?"

"Yes, that is a good question. Especially since you might just be taking me there for a discreet arrest."

"But I'm not! Please, doctor!"

The doctor sighed. "Alright. But you'll owe me. Whatever I ask, you have to do it."

"Yes, sir! Thank you!"

The doctor gathered several things and put them in a bag.

"Lets go."

When they got back to the garrison, Marin had a hard time convincing the captain to let the doctor in to see Asha, but he succeeded in the end, and he was given the keys to the outer door and Asha's cell.

"Asha. I found a doctor."

Asha thanked the doctor for coming, but she didn't say a word to Marin.

Marin unlocked the door to Asha's cell and let the doctor in. He would have gone in too, but the doctor said very firmly that he must not. So he sat down outside the door.

"So what's your name?" The doctor was saying.

"My name is Asha. My father was Kumiro the potter."

"Oh, I've seen some of his work. He was a very talented man. In the army now, isn't he?"

"Yes. Last year was poor for us, and he said that he could do 'more good for the kingdom by fighting than by making money now'. So he and my cousin went to fight."

"Ah. What about your mother? Where is she?"

"She died when I was young."

"I'm sorry about that. So were you at home alone?"

"Yes."

"So how'd this happen to your arm?"

"One of my other cousins, Linar, won a battle. Marin was a prisoner of war, but he was too young to be put with the other prisoners, so Linar asked me to take care of him. Marin was trying to escape, and I stopped him, but I got hit with fire."

"Can you move it at all?"

"No."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore."

"When did it stop hurting?"

"A few days ago."

"Mmm. Can you still feel anything?"

"Like what?"

"Can you feel this?"

"Only a little."

"Well, from what I can tell, the muscles in your arms were severed by the fire, and when it healed over they scarred into place. I don't know that there's very much I can do to that would fix them now."

"Oh."

"But that's not the main problem."

"What is?"

"The blood flow to your arm is getting sluggish. If we can't find a way to make it get better, it's going to eventually stop."

"What does that mean?"

"Your arm is slowly dying. We need to either revive it or amputate your arm. If we don't there could be severe complications."

"How can we revive it?"

"I know of a few treatments that might work, but they aren't guaranteed, and they're quite expensive."

"There is money at my house, but I don't know how I could get to it."

"It's alright. We'll just say that you owe me and you can send it to me whenever you get back home."

"Alright."

"Then I'll come back tomorrow with the first treatment."

"Goodbye, doctor. Thank you."

"Goodbye, Asha."

Then the doctor came out. Marin stood up.

"You know, you really hurt that girl. It's a wonder she can stand the sight of you."

Marin had been feeling worse and worse the more he heard. He hung his head.

"Yes, sir. I know."

"Come with me."

"Where?"

"Back to my shop. You owe me, and I'm going to put you to work."

"Alright."

Marin walked back with the doctor. He swept and washed and dusted nearly everything in the shop, and then the doctor told him to go home. He picked up some food for Asha and for himself, but when he gave it to her, other than a thank you, she wouldn't speak to him.

Marin wasn't sure why he cared, but he did. He didn't want her to hate him. He also felt like he had shamed himself, by being the cause of her imprisonment, after she had helped him so much.

He tried to sleep, but his brother's words ran through his head over and over.

"How could you, Marin?! You've brought shame on our entire family."

"If you ever get the chance, you must restore our honor."

Marin tossed and turned, and couldn't sleep. He felt so horrible.

The next day the doctor came back. He brought a red powder and dissolved it in water, bathing Asha's arm with it until the skin was pink. Asha told the doctor that she thought that she could feel it. The doctor frowned.

"What's wrong?" Marin asked once they had left.

"It might be too far gone. This treatment will keep her arm from dying completely, but I don't know that it will help it."

"Then what will help it?"

"I don't know."

"But you'll find out, won't you?"

The doctor stared at Marin for several seconds. "I'll try."

Marin nodded. He would hold the doctor to his word.

"Come on. Let's go."

Marin followed the doctor. This time, there were three house calls to be made. Marin noticed that every time the doctor had to examine anyone, he sent Marin out and then talked with the person, always asking questions that took a while to answer.

"Why do you talk to them?" Marin asked later. "Isn't it distracting?"

"Yes, that's exactly the point. If they're distracted then they aren't so uncomfortable."

"Oh. Does it always work?"

"Generally."

The next day passed in much the same way. And the next day, and the next. Soon a week had passed, and then another. Marin's guilt weighed heavily on him. Especially as the repeated treatments were helping less and less. Asha had started talking to him, but she was still cold.

The captain was beginning to become annoyed at him. He began talking about how Marin was a burden on the barracks, and about how he ought to at least work for his keep. Marin was worried that he'd get kicked out. Finally, it happened. The people in the city were agitated, there was something about to happen.

"Marin, I've let you stay here for free, and I've fed you for your family's sake, but charity can only go so far. I'll give you until tomorrow evening, but you need to find somewhere else to stay."

"Yes, sir."

The doctor, who had told Marin that his name was Lee, arrived a bit earlier than normal. Marin was glad, because he needed his advice. He stopped him before they went into the cell block.

"I need your help."

"With what?"

"I'm going to have to leave. I want to know that you'll make sure that Asha is taken care of. I don't know that I'll be able to earn enough for food for the both of us."

Lee's face softened. "Of course I will. But why are you leaving?"

"The captain's kicking me out."

"Oh. Don't worry, I'll help you both."

"No, I can't do that. You've become my friend, and I won't be a burden to you. I'll go back home."

"Well, I can't see how you'll do it, and I won't stop you, but you should end the enmity between you and Asha before you go."

"I've tried, but she won't accept any apology that I try to give."

"Then go try one more time. Accept the blame for everything, and tell her you're sorry. Tell her that you want to leave as her friend. If she still won't accept it, you can leave with a clean conscience, knowing that you tried, but I think that she's just as ready to stop this as you are."

"Ok."

"Let me go in first. When I'm done with the treatment on her arm then you can come in."

Marin waited. Today it seemed to take an eternity.

Then it was time.

Asha was sitting on the floor, and looked like she was expecting him. Marin sat down on his knees.

"I- Asha I'm sorry. I'm the one who hurt your arm, and I'm the one who got you stuck in here. I caused you pain. I'm really sorry. Can you forgive me? And can we be friends again?"

 **Aha! Cliffhanger! Now you'll have to tell me if you want more! *Evil author laugh***


End file.
